PART of the transatlantic cable which ran from Valentia Island to Heart's Content in Newfoundland was presented by Kevin Flannery of Dingle Oceanworld to representatives from Sacred Heart University Connecticut last week to signify the special relationship that exists between the two institutions.

PART of the transatlantic cable which ran from Valentia Island to Heart's Content in Newfoundland was presented by Kevin Flannery of Dingle Oceanworld to representatives from Sacred Heart University Connecticut last week to signify the special relationship that exists between the two institutions.

Students from Sacred Heart University have been participating in a new Coastal Ecology study programme at Dingle Oceanworld over the past two weeks and those involved revealed that they were extremely happy with the inaugural initiative.

Used for telegraph communications, the first undersea cable was laid across the floor of the Atlantic from Telegraph Field on Valentia Island to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland by Cyrus Field, starting in 1854 and completed in 1866. The first transatlantic telegraph was transmitted on August 16, 1858, reducing the communication time between North America and Europe from ten days - the time it took to deliver a message by ship - to a matter of minutes.

Part of the cable was recovered by local fishermen over the past couple of weeks and Kevin fashioned a section of it into a presentational piece which he feels reflects the new academic and research relationship which now exists between Dingle and Connecticut through this Coastal Ecology programme of study.

"We were very happy with the programme, the 13 students participating learned a tremendous amount over the past two weeks," said Kevin.

"It was a wonderful experience," added Seamus Carey of Sacred Heart University. "We are already looking forward to next January when another group of students will come to Dingle to study Oceanography at Dingle Oceanworld with Kevin."

Representatives from Sacred Heart University also explained that they are also currently engaging in a mutually beneficial research partnership with Dingle Oceanworld.